BY AGNES NWORIE, ABAKALIKI
The Ebonyi State Commissioner for Primary and Secondary Education, Paul Nwobashi, has condemned alleged vandalism of educational facilities in the state by metal scavengers, otherwise known as scrab dealers.
Nwobashi raised the concern in an exclusive interview with The Point on the deplorable conditions of schools in the state and measures government intends to take in fixing them.
According to him, metal scavengers have vandalised and stolen classroom metallic doors, windows, burglar proofs, seats and roofing sheets of schools in the state, thereby robbing the schools of conducive environment for effective teaching and learning.
He regretted that the menace had compelled government to invest in the replacement of the stolen equipments when there would have been procurement of other equipment also needed in the schools.
To prevent reoccurrence, the commissioner called on residents and stakeholders to support the government in ensuring security of public facilities by giving timely and accurate information to the security agencies in the event of any strange movement in and around the schools.
Nwobashi encouraged parents to always enrol their children in public schools where he said there were more qualified teachers as against private schools where they were allegedly compelled to pay through their noses without significant impartation of the required knowledge.
He said, “We are facing a very critical condition in Ebonyi State education sector because of activities of metal scavengers otherwise known as scrab dealers. Doors, windows, burglar proofs, roofing sheets are being stolen by metal scavengers. They have been going around schools; if you just try to blink, one thing is gone at night, especially during long vacation holidays.
“Last week, I started a sensitisation tour to local government areas’ stakeholders on how to combat this problem. I started with Ebonyi Local Government to inform them of the need to ensure security of government facilities in their areas, especially our schools. We are trying to see how we can engage the local government chairmen, local vigilante group and indeed all the natives to ensure security.
“As government, we are trying to employ and deploy some security men to the schools to protect the facilities from vandals as part of the plan to revamp our educational sector. This is because government cannot continue to spend more to replace educational gadgets where the ones they have are stolen. I have made a memo to his Excellency (State Governor) on that issue, let us see how all these things could be handled.
“In all, people are careless and not concerned about government properties. How can you see people vandalising public facilities and you keep quiet? It is not fair. If you see something, say something. Security is everybody’s business. If you are not in that school as a teacher or student, your children or relatives or friends will be there. Currently, if you go to public schools that have seats made of partly metal and wood, you will notice that it is woods that are remaining. The metallic parts are all vandalised and stolen.”
“Just go to nearby Presco Secondary School at Mile 50 Abakaliki, you will see the roofs are gone. That is not the effect of windstorm, the roofs were removed by metal scavengers. I went there about a week ago and I saw that they are reinstalling burglar proofs because the thieves have started stealing seats, lockers and other valuables,” he claimed.
Responding, the Chairman of the Metal Scavengers Association in the state, Nwigwe Ejike, denied the allegations.
He said members of the association could not cart away government property and promised to assist security agencies in fishing out those who carried out the acts.
“Just barely three weeks into our administration, we have made substantial efforts to combat vandalism. We have provided the Ministry of Internal Security and Police with records of four individuals who, although not members of our association, were caught attempting to sell government property. They have been promptly handed over to the Police for questioning,” Ejike said.
